The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-02-26

time in Fayette equity, Pa, adjoining
Garrett. Subsequently they worked
in Virginia. and then went over into
Grant county, w. Va, where they
staid until December. when they
crossed over into Garrett county and
established themselves at a place
called Bender's, or Cherry Tree
Meadows, about six miles from Nc
Henry.
THE NUMBER OF CONVERTS.
Here they are said to have made
seven converts, though one of these
Joel Bender, denies that he has any
faith in them. Bender has a daugh.
ter who is mentally afflicted, and the
elders told him that they could cure
her by the laying on of hands. Ben
der told them that if they could ne
would become a Mormon. The ex-
pertinent failed, and Nelson and
Mecham say that it was because of a
want of faith on the part of Bender
and his family. There is no doubt
that in their three months of labor
they have made several converts at
that place. But while they preach
Mormonism, they claim to adhere
strictly to the Gospel. and studiousIN
refrain at any of their meetings from
touching on polygamy. While they
believe in plural marriage, they will
not preach about it, but will talk
privately regarding it. This they
are afraid to put forward publicly at
the outset, but as they are only feel
ing their way now, they hope to
keep this feature of their religion in
the background and to accomplish
their designs step by step. From
Cherry Tree Meadows Nelson and
Mecham came to McHenry en- the
18th of December, and have remain
ed there almost continuously since,
but do not seem to have made any
conversions. There they preached
in house that was rented from a
man named McLane for school pur-
poses, until the county School Board
held a meeting some time ago and
passed resolution forbiding them
to use this or any other school house
in the county. Jacob Spiker, who
seems to have been one of their con-
verts at Cherry Tree Meadows, then
gave them the use of his house at
that place, which has since been
dubbed "the Mormon tabernacle"
and at that place they now hold
forth. There they will this afternoon
conduct the funeral services of little
girl of Matthias Bittinger. who is
classed as another convert. In the
meantime they are living at Nc
Henry with McLane. who owns the
rented school house. He makes 20
concealment of his friendship for
them, though, as far as is known, he
has not accepted their doctrines, and
declares that if they shall not preach
in his house, no one else shall. The
contract of the school board for the
house expires March %. and if these
parties are not driven away before
that time, he will in all probability
give them the use of the building
again. AT none of these meetings
have they ever drawn large crowds,
for there are no large crowds to draw.
The country is sparsely settled, and
is besides, so rough, that it would be
impossible in the heart of winter to
get any great number of people to-
gether. They have probably not at
any time had more than twenty-five
hearers. The place which they have
selected is we'll adapted for their
work, and il is in a remote section of
the contry, and one of the few where
they would be allowed to stay a day.
AN INTERVIEW WITH NELSON.
In an interview Nelson denied that
polygamy was the distinctive feature
of the Mormon religion, and in reply
to the question what was. he said:
sour distinctive feature is that
there is no saving Gospel except that
taught by st. Paul"
"Do you not openly advocate the
right of man to have more than one
wife: ?"
Eyes, we do, and we are upheld by
Scripture but we do not teach that
because he accepts the Mormon re-
ligion, he must necessarily have more
than one wife,"
HE can have one or one hundred,
then, as he sees fit?"
Exactly"
"Have you persuaded anybody to
take unto himself more than one
wife since you have been here ?"
1--WE have not"
you each have, of course, several
wives ?"
I'VE have not"